Trump Attorney Rips "Bloodthirsty" News Media

Michael van der Veen

One of former President Donald Trump’s defense attorneys didn’t seem like a man who’d just won an acquittal for his client, but rather a man looking for a fight.

In a live interview with CBS News anchor Lana Zak, attorney Michael van der Veen interrupted, accused Zak of saying things she had not, in fact, said, and then launched into an extended tirade about the news media. “You are bloodthirsty for ratings,” he said in the interview, which was carried live on CBS’ streaming news service, CBSN.

The interview began without incident but quickly became contentious when van der Veen repeated charges he made during the Senate impeachment trial that the House impeachment managers had “doctored evidence.”

“For our viewers,” Zak said, detailing the specific allegations van der Veen had made during the trial, but the lawyer seemed to misunderstand and interrupted the anchor to accuse her of dismissing or minimizing his claims. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” he said. “That’s not enough for you? That’s not enough for you?”

Zak attempted repeatedly to clarify that she was merely clarifying what van der Veen was talking about. “I’m not a juror in the trial,” she said, “I’m trying to be clear for our viewers,” but Zak was talked over by van der Veen, who called her question “twisted” and said “I can’t believe you’d ask a question indicating it’s all right to doctor a little bit of evidence,” which Zak had never said.

Trump defense attorney Michael van der Veen speaks with @LanaZak after the Senate's acquittal vote: "What happened at the Capitol on January 6 is absolutely horrific. But what happened at the Capitol during this trial was not too far away from that."

Watch the full interview: pic.twitter.com/ndjBZzJgNZ

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 13, 2021

The interview ended when van der Veen ripped the microphone off his suit jacket and appeared to throw it to the ground.